I'm a fresh bread eater, but not a bread maker. My mom would make bread and rolls all the time when I was young. Our house always smelled so good because my mom was either cooking or baking. MMMmmmm
You need a sourdough starter. We had one years ago but I forgot how to do it and it made the best sourdough bread. Do a google search and see if you can make one.
There are fast growing yeasts and slow growing yeasts. Sourdough flavor comes from slow yeasts, so you need to keep your starter alive for a week or more before you make the first loaf. Also keep it cooler than normal so it doesn't grow out of the flour sack. (Many/most bakers keep it in the flour sack.)
I love to bake (cakes, breads, pies crackers and such). And there is nothing better than homemade bread (especially on a cold winter's day). Not that bread machine stuff, but the real stuff. The kind you literally made by hand - mixing, kneading, punching down, forming into loaves. It takes a long time to make, but it's definitely worth it!
Yep. I made it before the machines came along. As for me, there is no reason not to use the machine. It is every bit as good as if you knead by hand. Mine is, anyway. My machine is not longer made. It makes a very small .75 lb loaf; most machines make between 1.5 and 2 lb loaves. I haven't made bread in quite a while. I guess it's time. I actually just bought two lbs of yeast online a few days ago. So I was already getting into the mood.